On the night of January 18-19, the entire Orthodox world celebrates the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. On this day, believers rush to the consecrated springs. In order to avoid accidents and injuries when being in icy water, organizers should remember the basic requirements for winter bathing places.
For Jordan, a reservoir is selected, the flow velocity in which does not exceed 0.25 m / s. The bathing place should be located at a distance from the berths, the confluence of rivers and sewage.
The bottom under the ice hole should not be clogged with foreign objects that can cause injury, smooth, preferably sandy, without steep slopes, algae, driftwood, large stones. The shore in the area of the ice hole should be convenient for movement in both directions.
It is necessary to ensure that the places of mass winter bathing are well lit, while all the rules of electrical safety and fire safety must be observed.
The ice hole, if possible, should be protected from the wind, and a warm room should be located near it.
When equipping the font, first of all, it is necessary to clear the snow from the area, the size of which should be several times the size of the font, so that there are free approaches to the water from all sides.
The minimum dimensions of the hole are 3x3 meters. The depth at the location of the font should not exceed 150 centimeters.
The bathing venue should be equipped with everything necessary: wooden decking for access to the ice, as well as handrails and steps for entering the water.
The cutting of the hole must be carried out evenly, deepening the groove along the entire perimeter. Ice is cut into slabs in such a way that there is enough strength to flood and push them under the edge of the hole or pull them to the surface.
At the corner or in the middle of the edge of the hole, it is necessary to cut down a recess measuring 60x60 centimeters for the stairs. For the convenience of getting into and out of the water, the number of feet should be at least five. Wooden ladders are fixed at the edge of the hole. They must be equipped with handrails with a height of 90 - 110 centimeters.
The place for epiphany bathing should be fenced. Any fence of the hole is installed at a distance of 7-10 meters from its edges. In addition, it is recommended to make an ice hole fence around the perimeter, on ice and under ice, so that spectators do not accidentally fall into the water, and swimmers could not get under the ice.
On the ice surface, a wooden lattice flooring is arranged to the edge of the ice hole. The flooring should be strong, should not slide on the surface of the ice and exclude the possibility of slipping and falling into the water. Approaches to the font and decking should be cleared of snow, ice should be chipped and sprinkled with sand or straw.
Coordination of the organization of bathing and the places of arrangement of fonts is carried out with the local executive bodies, on the territories of which Jordan is being settled. Responsibility for the equipment of the fonts and for the safety of ritual bathing is assigned to the organizers of these events.
In places of mass bathing, police officers are on duty to maintain order and medical workers to provide first aid, as well as rescuers to ensure safety.
Safety rules for immersion in the Baptismal font:
- it is necessary to make sure that bathing is under the control of representatives of rescue services and medical workers;
- do not dive into the water directly from the ice.
Forbidden:
- drink alcoholic beverages and swim in a state of alcoholic intoxication;
- bathing of children without supervision of parents and adults;
- to dive into icy water for people with cardiovascular diseases;
- submit cries of false help;
- drive up to the font by motor transport.